Antimicrobial Growth Promoters in Farming Practices Exacerbates Antibiotic Resistance Crisis: A Global Threat

Abstract: As the world sees increase in the use of antibiotics to reach the market demands, the dependence of man and animals on antimicrobials have tremendously increased leading to an antimicrobial resistance crisis across the globe. Considered as one of the major public health issues and a global threat to man and animals, antimicrobial resistance is widely now talked about as a one health and one world issue. Use of Antimicrobials has seen its importance in the animal sector not just at therapeutic doses against diseases but also at sub-therapeutic doses as Antimicrobial Growth Promoters (AGPs) for production animals. Resistance of microorganisms to antimicrobials is a major challenge as more and more resistant strains of microbes have evolved. To visualize how the problem of antibiotic resistance might best be addressed, an understanding about what it is and its mechanism is necessary. Solutions can then be drawn and implemented as soon as possible because the time is crucial and the work is vast.

Keywords: antibiotic, antibiotic resistance, global threat, sub-therapeutic dose, antimicrobial growth promoter.